INDIANAPOLIS — A southside university student died in a shooting Thursday on the northeast side of Indianapolis.
Police responded about 1 a.m. Thursday to a report of shots fired at a house in the 5800 block of Radnor Road. Police were later told a person had been shot, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
When police arrived, they found a man who had been shot. The man was taken to a hospital in critical condition and died shortly after he arrived. The Marion County Coroner’s Office identified him as Koebe Clopton, 20, of Hammond.
Later on Thursday, University of Indianapolis officials said Clopton was a student at the university. Clopton, a junior, was a two-year member of the university’s football team.
“We are all deeply saddened by the loss of Koebe Clopton,” University President Robert Manuel said in a statement. “Our primary concern is for Koebe’s family, friends and others who are grieving his loss.”
The university has been in contact with Clopton’s family to offer support and resources. Students, faculty and staff are being encouraged to contact the university’s counseling center if they need to speak with someone.
“We are a close-knit community and we are devastated by the loss of Koebe, who was a member of our UIndy family,” Manuel said in the statement.
The incident is a tragic reminder about how precious life can be, and how connected the university community is, Kory Vitangeli, vice president for student and campus affairs and dean of students, said in an email to students.
“I encourage you to remember the innate good that exists on this campus. We are a stronger university as we embrace and continue to protect one another with the values that make us a unique and viable community,” she said.
Clopton’s death was felt throughout the university community. He always had an optimistic outlook on life, said Lauren Wright, one of his classmates and a senior at the university.
Wright first met Clopton during her sophomore year, when she and then-freshman Clopton took a voice and diction class together. He immediately came up and sat next to her.
“I knew I could always find him right next to me from that moment on, (and) we’ve managed to somehow have a class together every semester since,” Wright said.
Clopton often hosted game nights at his apartment. He loved buying and selling shoes and freestyle rap. Most importantly, he loved his mother and wanted nothing more than to make her proud, Wright said.
“His impact is felt from his hometown of Hammond, Indiana to his home with all of us at the University of Indianapolis — everyone from faculty and staff to his classmates and teammates,” she said.
His smile and laugh could brighten even the darkest days. Wright learned from Clopton how to be optimistic, and to never be afraid to go after the things she wants in life.
“It’s days like today where I want nothing more than a teddy bear hug from the kid I called my baby brother,” she said. “Today, I wanted nothing more than to walk with him to class one more time.”
Though Wright is grieving, she finds peace in having known him, and in how God allowed her to experience his light, she said.
“I find peace in my last words to him being, ‘Love you, see you tomorrow.’ Although tomorrow never came around, I can still see, and I’ll forever feel, the love that he has shown me forever,” Wright said.
No additional information about the shooting or potential suspects had been released as of 2 p.m. Friday. A cause of death has also not been determined.
Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to to contact IMPD Detective Brad Nuetzman at 317-327-3475 or e-mail him at [email protected]. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.
Clopton’s family set up a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral costs. More than $4,500 of the $10,000 goal had been collected by Friday evening. Those who would like to donate can visit: gofund.me/c647f379/.
